Self-handicapping strategies in the physical education classes: Expectations of competence, self-benefits and threat to the self.

Résumé En

Introduction. The purpose of this study is to examine whether the impact of self-handicapping strategies (Berglas & Jones, 1978) could have influence on threatening situations perception before an evaluation. According to Thompson (1995), a situation where you are threated to be judged on your intellectual capacities (e.g., summative evaluation) can force young people to use protective strategies in order to protect their self-esteem (see Leyrit, Oubrayrie-Roussel, & Prêteur, 2011). We assumed that pupils who perceived threat in an evaluation situation for their self will felt less threaten if they can use self-handicapping declarations than if they cannot. Method. Seventy-four pupils (Mage = 14 years; SD = 13-15 years), 40 boys and 34 girls. Holding position stretching arms to the sides at least 3 minutes and as long as possible was used for the experimental task. In condition 1, participants were asked to answer to the Performance Faillure Appriasal Inventory (Conroy, 2001) before and after the possibility to declare any excuse (claimed self-handicap). Then, participants achieved the experimental task. In condition 2, it was the same condition as condition one but participants did not have the possibility to declare any excuse. Results. Results highlight that threatening situation perception decrease when pupils have the opportunity to declare a self-handicap (p < .05). Conclusion. Our research brings out the impact of self-handicapping strategies on threatening situations perception. Indeed, self-handicapping strategies help pupils to protect themselves (Coudevylle, Gernigon, Martin Ginis, & Famose, 2015). These findings shed light the distinction between advantages and disadvantages to use such strategies. Implications for teachers are proposed.